Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 187: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

4 SPRING-HEEL D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON, jailer, and the guilty soul of Richard Clavering had flown to meet that of his murdered wife at _ the footstool of the Supreme Judge. CHAPTER LXV. JACK LEARNS OF A PLOT, AND HAS A NARROW ESCAPE. Now that he had placed Richard Clavering in the hands of the officers, to be carried before the judges of his country to answer for his crimes, Jack felt no further desire to have anything to do with the business. ‘He had fulfilled his promise, and done what he believed to be his duty, in handing over a cold-blooded murderer to justice, and as soon as the sanguinary wretch was on his way to prison, Jack took the first opportunity that pre- _ sented itself.of bidding good-bye to both the _ prisoner and his guardians. __ This opportunity was not long in presenting itself in the shape of a gap in the hedge which ran along one side of the road. - Through this Jack darted quickly. Crouching down, he waited till the sounds of the horses’ hoofs died away in the distance, and then rose to get once more into the road. As he was meditating whether he would journey back on foot or endeavour to catch one | of the horses, which till that moment he had _ quite forgotten all about, the sound of voices ' was borne on the wind to his ears from the opposite direction to that which the officers and _ their prisoner had gone. — __ Certainly there was nothing very strange in the circumstance of persons talking at that hour as they came along the road, but still _ Jack ‘felt an interest to know who and what - they were. Perhaps the idea that, whoever it was, they might take the animals, finding them already saddled and bridled, prompted him to ‘stay, such a thought having entered his mind. So he retreated back through the hedge, and, crouching down beneath it, waited and listened. The footsteps came nearer, but the voices did not grow more distinct. — | This puzzled Jack a little. | Presently he could tell by the sound of the feet that there were several persons, and as they drew yet nearer to the spot where he was concealed he became aware that they were con- versing in low tones. : Jack strained every nerve to listen, and as they passed the spot on the opposite side of the hedge, he caught sufficient of their conversa- tion to make him acquainted with the fact that they were a gang of poachers, and their object -was the robbing of the gentleman’s preserves where Richard Clavering had rested and effectually put his pursuers off the scent. Jack waited till they had got some distance down the road, and then, putting on the mask he usually wore when in search of adventure, and drawing his cloak closely around him, he slipped out into the road and followed. The men were walking at a hurried pace, and Jack had to take quick steps to keep the same distance between himself and them. After about an hour’s walk he missed the fession. footsteps, which ever and anon he paused to listen for, and was satisfied that they had entered © the grounds he had heard them speak of. Jack now went more cautiously along, and slackened his pace considerably, desiring to let the poachers get to work ere he entered the place, or attempted to give the inhabitants of the mansion notice of their presence. Jack had no very great respect for the game laws, but he had for the owner of the preserves, with whom he was well acquainted, and on a footing of friendship. And again, he set his face against those who preferred. to rob their more fortunate neighbours rather than toil honestly for a live- lihood. Had a poor, starving wretch been guilty of such an act as the trapping of a rabbit, he would have considered the act unworthy of notice; but when he saw men who evidently preferred such occupations to that of honest labour, his indignation was rather great. When he considered that the fellows had began their operations, he strolled leisurely into the grounds, and took up a position directly beneath the tree where Richard Clavering had sat a few hours before. Presently a big, brawny, labouring-looking man came silently and stealthily towards the spot, and just as he got within a few yards of the tree, Jack leaped out right before him. The suddenness of the apparition, the sight of the ghastly mask, and the consciousness of -having no legal business there gave the fellow such a shock that he staggered backwards and fell upon his knees in terror. Jack extended his: arms over him, and-in a low, hollow voice asked what he wanted there. But the man was evidently so alarmed that he could only make some strange, incoherent noise between a groan and a sigh. “What are you doing here?” Jack asked again. The man only stared with open mouth and open eyes, and clasped his hands together in an attitude of supplication. “Poor, ignorant devil,” muttered Jack to himself. ‘ te had been a keeper with a gun in my hand the probabilities are the fellow would have done*his best to have taken the weapon from me and beat my brains out with its butt end, but my mask has more terrors for him than a loaded musket.” Then, kicking with his foot a bag which the man had in his hand, he said, in a severe tone,— ‘Ts this some of the proceeds of your villan- ous expedition? Speak! or PIl”— “Oh! be merciful to me, and I'll confess all,” stammered the fellow. ‘What will you confess ?—but there, I know all about it; still, I should like to hear your con- Go on, and speak truly.” $ Vies!? ‘Go on, then.” “ Tts rabbits.”’ T know that. to-night ?” ‘¢ Yes—no.”’ “The truth and a lie together.” ‘© Tt’s all I came for—but ”—= © But what ?” Is that all you came here for 198